Lost Hearts or: How To Repair Yourself
by Bitterkeit
Summary: After Re-mind. After rescuing Kairi Sora vanished soon after. But, is it the end for him? Or will he get another chance to live? Find out!
1. In Darkness We Begin

Edit 5th May: Because someone asked me about the pairing, I'll say it here: It's going to be SoraxKairixRiku. It won't be overly mushy nor "over the top" gay, meaning the character will stay as much in-character as possible. I enjoy those too but only as comic relief which just doesn't fit with the plot. There'll be humour though, don't worry _

A/N: Well, I never thought I'd ever publish anything, but I'm not getting younger. And...I kinda wanted to give my favourite game character his well-earned Happy End. I don't think I'll ever see it until I'm well into my early 30's. :(

A note of warning here. I put this up pretty sopping wet. There may be mistakes here and there, and because I didn't want to search for a beta for ages you're the first to read this. Despite that...Have fun :D

* * *

A scant few hours after the battle against Xehanort the Gang was still gathered at Destiny Islands, relaxing together for the first time in what had been a long hard week for most of them.

Wanting to take a little breather from their rambunctious friends, Kairi and Sora had decided to take a long walk around the beach.

For the longest time no one spoke a word. Their hands were linked after Kairi had gathered her courage to reach for Sora's.

But after a while Sora released Kairi's hand and turned to her.

Turning to Sora with a quizzical look, Kairi frowned. He looked visibly upset, and more than a little sad. Now a bit alarmed Kairi asked: "Sora, what's wrong?"

Sora rang with himself for a moment and then decided to answer.

"Kairi, there's something I have to tell you."

Already fearing it would be bad news, Kairi sent him an anxious look.

Sora sighed. "You know...after Xehanort kidnapped you, we beat him just barely. Thing is...you were still gone, so I chose to rescue you. With my keyblade I opened a portal that I hoped would lead me to you. Instead I landed in the World Between, a place that kind of exists between Life and Death."

The boy swallowed, now struggling to go on.

"There I met Chirity, a cute little guy that watches over that place. He said...he said I'd be able to save you, but at a terrible cost. I would travel back to the time before Xehanort let you vanish, and try to find out where you were taken to."

Sora finished with a deeply sad looking face.

Dread filled Kairi. She was afraid of asking, but had to do so anyway.

"Sora...what was the cost?"

Already a few tears had made their way across her cheeks.

Sora hesitated for the last time and then answered.

"Kairi...there's no easy way to say this but I'm fading away"

"W-what? Does this mean you're d-dying?", Kairi whispered. The girl was so upset that she stuttered, yet she might as well have shouted it, so bad was the flinch of Sora.

He let his head hang.

"I don't know Kairi, there wasn't much time for questions. I leapt without a second thought."

Kairi had begun to cry in earnest now. "So what now? I only just found you and now you tell me you're dying?! Why would you do that? WHY?!! The last word came as a shout.

A bittersweet smile was on Soras lips.

"Because Kairi...I love you. More than you can imagine"

That startled Kairi, who hadn't expected those words for a while yet, if at all.

"And you're not even the only one", whispered Sora, looking towards the Island. He held up his right hand, which had begun to look a little transparent again.

Kairi looked horrified. "It started already? W-wait, I'll get hel-" "It's too late Kairi. I already feel the pull. Something's tugging at me and I can't resist for much longer."

Sora interrupted Kairi only to fall silent himself again.

Suddenly far behind the two teens a few raised voices neared, but they were oblivious to that, focused on each other as they were.

And then Sora began to glow with an inner light, while at the same time his body lost colour.

As this time, a light blue mop of hair could be seen racing towards the two.

He arrived too late though, as with a voice that echoed Sora spoke his farewell.

"I'm sorry, Kairi...Riku...guys. I'm so sorry. Goodbye."

And with that Sora's form dissolved, freeing his heart which vanished to the blue skies.

Riku stumbled and landed painfully on his belly, on the same spot his friend had been just a scant few moments ago.

Too stunned to move, neither teen spoke for a few moments. As one though they screamed their friend's name with a loud cry full of pain, which in short would alarm the rest of their friends that something terrible had happened.

"Soraaaa!!"

* * *

Sora's heart continued its ascent, till it disappeared from the Realm of Light only to appear in the Realm of Darkness. There it hovered for quite a while, as if not sure where to go. When it finally began to move, something happened in front of the heart. Coruscating light rays began to gather from the darkness until a figure formed. They wore a shapeless long red cloak, with it's hood obscuring much of the face.

Full Lips shaped themselves to a frown.

"What to do with you? I can't just let you perish here after all the good you did. So...where to send you?..."

Here, the figure trailed off, adopting a thinking pose.

"Maybe it is time to start that little project I've had in mind for a while."

Mind made up they pointed an open palm at the heart that still hovered in front of them.

With a hand wave, a ray of strong light struck the heart, bathing it in pulsating colours.

For a few minutes this continued until the heart started to change. It grew, spreading out in a flash of light. Ever so slowly a body began to form. After while the ray stopped, leaving a ghostly outline of Sora in its wake.

The figure let out a sigh. "That's all I can do for you right now. I hope the place where I'm going to send you now can do the Rest."

With that words a portal made of light opened, sucking in Sora's comatose form.

A sigh was heard after the portal closed. "Good Luck Sora."

Wirh a swirl of colour the figure vanished again, leaving the Realm of Darkness behind, as silent as ever.

* * *

Hogwarts, by the Black Lake

With a crash the unmoving, still translucent form of Sora landed near the shore of the Black Lake.

Only to be joined by two even odder beings. Fawkes who arrived in a whirl of flames, and a little ball of light that was constantly changing its colours. Said ball was excitedly hopping around near Sora, sending anyone who would have watched the scene either into fits of laughter or a migraine.

Fawkes seemed to fall into the second choice if his rolling eyes was anything to go by. With an annoyed sounding squawk the bird caught the ball of light in his beak. After giving his prey a good shake he released it again. The sphere, now seeming much more subdued, sulkily went over to Sora.

There it hovered, bristling with spikes all of a sudden. A stretcher appeared under the boy, and soon after Fawkes flashed away with his companions, leaving the lake undisturbed once more.

* * *

A/N: I'm in progress of writing chapter two, expect it in a few days ;)


	2. Off we go to new worlds

Disclaimer:I forgot earlier, but I neither own Kingdom Hearts nor Harry Potter. Only some fantasies and the desperate wish for a happy end...

A/N: This chapter is a lot later than I wanted it. This chapter just didn't want to get written. Not that I don't know where I'm going with the plot, but focusing on all the itty bitty little plot points is quite exhausting.

If someone wants to, I need a beta to bounce around ideas with and to improve the flow of the story.

Anyways, Enjoy.

* * *

Sora's P.O.V.:

For the longest time Sora could neither see nor hear anything. Without a body Sora's heart was unable to interact with it's surroundings, nevermind speak. If it could have though, it would have screamed out it's anguish. So many feelings were present:

Relief that Kairi would be alright and safe back at the Island.

Anger, because his body had faded too damn fast, only leaving him enough time to say Goodbye.

Regret, because he knew his friends wouldn't take his death too well.

Fear was also rather strong, because he didn't want to face Death at his young age, nor be the first among his friends to know what afterlife was like.

How Riku would refuse to cry but be silently hurt inside; how Kairi would hardly have a dry eye for weeks...

On and on went the maelstrom of emotions inside Sora's heart until something else happened to sidetrack them.

The heart felt something hit it with pure power, bathing it in almost scalding warmth.

For a time the heart simply relished in the sensation of being recharged and basked in the emotion of sheer calmness the ray induced.

Then things began to change. The heart was encouraged to expand. Slowly it did so, nudged by the power to spread out until a multicoloured but transparent gestalt of Sora was created, with the heart sitting in the chest area of it. Ever so slowly the heart dared to feel a sliver of hope. Maybe all would be alright someday...

Well that was before a sense of foreboding befell it. There wasn't any time to react however, as with a terrible squeezing sensation the heart felt itself leave this plane of existence, and then it knew no more.

* * *

Hogwarts, several worlds and one dimension sideways away:

With a flash of light Fawkes appeared at the Hospital Wing, his companions only a second behind. At once the ball of light assisted, gently floating down Sora's comatose form on one of the beds. While Fawkes settled himself down on the bedposts, the other darted away to Madam Pomfrey's office across the room. Instantly it phased through the door, giving the old matron inside quite the scare.

Madam Pomfrey's P.O.V.:

Madam Pomfrey's day so far had been rather calm. She'd used the rare time off to catch up on some paperwork. Her desk in the cozy little room was littered with scrolls, paperwork and a few books. In front of her was said paperwork, while next to it was her steaming cup of tea of which she was in progress of raising to her lips. But all of a sudden a colourfull ball of light came through the door, scaring her so much she dropped her cup, which thankfully was enchanted to neither break nor spill a single drop of its content.

The woman stared transfixed at the scene in front of her. Was she seeing things? Dubiously she looked towards her tea. Was there something wrong with it? But no, the vision didn't vanish. Instead the orb began to dance in front of her, changing colours constantly.

Obviously sensing that Madam Pomfrey hadn't caught on what it wanted, the orb instead buzzed around her head and went to the door again. This spiked her couriosity. Did she have a visitor? Then it clicked. She only really got two kind of visitors. Her fellow coworkers would send an owl beforehand, and the students would set off the perimeter ward on the doors.

Knowing this, Madam Pomfrey hurried out of the door to the beds, drawing her wand from her sleeve in the process.

The orb had raced ahead and now drew the woman's gaze to one of the beds.

She gaped at the strange sight. Someone that was almost as transparent as a ghost was lying on the bed. The being wasn't a ghost however, as Madam Pomfrey could make out a beating, albeit glowing heart inside it's chest.

And then there was Fawkes. The Headmaster's companion sat on the bedpost by the beings head, looking down at it.

* * *

Up in his office Professor Dumbledore was handling a few correspondences from the Ministry.

A few minutes earlier Fawkes had flamed away with a surprised sounding trill, startling the old Headmaster somewhat. He put it out of his mind however, knowing that Fawkes sometimes went to stretch his wings a bit. What got his attention a little while later though was a bell chiming on a bookshelf to the right of his desk. Above the bell flashed the words "Hospital Wing" in the air. The bell seemed to be confused however. It would chime only to stop, then a few moments after begin again.

Professor Dumbledore stared with mild confusion at it. Was it faulty? Frowning in thought he sent a spell at it. The results seemed to be inconclusive though, so with a look at the clock he decided that yes, he was due for a break anyway. Only pausing to pick up his wand he strode out of the office in direction of the Hospital Wing.

Chapter End

* * *

AN: Well that's all so far. I finally found the drive to write again. I hashed out some of the major points for the next chapter and can hopefully start on chapter 3 tomorrow.

You propably noticed the P.O.V.s I wrote out. This is how the next few chapters are going to go, with the first one always in Sora's perspective. This story will stick to Third Person view as it's the one I myself find the most comfortable one to read.

Going to bed now, it's nearly 3 am around here lol. My muse doesn't care about the time...


	3. Into the unknown

Bugfix 4th August

Added the allusion I wanted to make with the little *. Also, I wrote a blog today about this fic over at tumblr. The Username is unbalancedautumn. Stupid name I know, but my fave combinations were already taken...

* * *

A.N.: Sorry for making you wait guys, some of the scenes were the hardest thing I ever had to write about. I really don't like seeing people in pain….

Oh, and if someone wants to Beta my work: Please. I really don't have the time to search dozens of beta profiles to find one that may fit only to find out I never get a reply….

* * *

Destiny Islands, shortly after Sora's disappearance

King Mickey was the first to reach the two teens after running with top speed to reach the source of the screams, his senses still on high alert after their battle against Xehanort. A few minutes before Riku had suddenly ran off, a look of panic on his face. Mickey had then sent out his senses to try and see if some Heartless had arrived, as unlikely as that was. He didn't sense any though, so Mickey relaxed a bit. A bit later though a scream, no, two screams reached his sensitive ears, yelling the name name of their friend Sora. Mickey blanched. Without looking back he took off in the direction Riku had just taken, leaving the rest of their friends behind in confusion.

Once Mickey arrived at the scene out of breath, he immediately asked Kairi and Riku what happened. Mickey could clearly see however that something was really wrong. Neither had reacted to his words, Riku lay on the sand on his belly, his right arm outstretched, and Kairi was was just as unmoving. Both were staring straight ahead, where a third set of footprints in the sand in front of the group abruptly ended.

Dread filled Mickey "Guys….what happened?"

Kairi turned around to look at him then, puffy red eyes still spilling tears down her face.

"Sora….he disappeared. H-he said something about fading, that he wanted to say goodbye…."

After saying that Kairi broke out in sobs again while sinking to her knees.

Riku had meanwhile stood up, but he lacked his usual grace. Almost woodenly he stumbled over to Kairi. As Riku touched Kairi's shoulder in a rare gesture of comfort, Kairi turned around and dragged Riku down to the sand by his shirt, desperately clinging to him as if she feared Riku would be the next to disappear on her.

Hesitantly, and ever so slowly Riku embraced her, tucking her into his chest.

With despair written very clearly on his face he looked to Mickey, who flinched at the raw emotions on his protege's face.

"Mickey….what now?"

Sighing, and really feeling his age for once, Mickey sighed.

"I don't know Riku. I just don't….."

Looking sadly towards the dying sun, Mickey wondered if things would ever be alright again.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, Madam Pomfrey tried to diagnose her new patient.

It was really quite vexing, because most of her spells tended to either go straight through him or come back with confusing results. The only things she could tell for certain was that her patient was male, just out of his teens and body-less. How that hadn't killed him instantly Madam Pomfrey didn't know, the only guess she could make was that his heart had something to with it. It was glowing in various shades of pink and red, pulsating with an inner light. The other thing she could gauge was his dangerously low magic level. So low in fact that the young man's "body" was in danger of destabilizing soon.

Madam Pomfrey pondered that for a moment. Her normal treatment would have included a pepper-up potion and at least three magic replenishing potions. That only worked if a potion could be ingested in the first place however. When she looked at Fawkes, the bird shook his head as if to say he wasn't able to help either. Looking at the phoenix however brought Madam Pomfrey's attention to wondering why Fawkes had brought the young man here in the first place. Surely St. Mungo's would have been the better choice. Because even after Madam Pomfrey had completed her mediwitch training back in the 50's and then the experience of treating entire generations of Hogwarts students after their accidents and experiments - that was it. She was completely out of her depths this time and really wanted to have the boy looked at by professional healers – only to stop short. There were reasons she couldn't to do so. Going on a hunch that the boy didn't have anyone to look after him at the moment, she had no way to reach some of his relatives to inform them of incoming medical bills. Because they would have - magical healing cost money too, and if you had an ailment the healers didn't have a potion or spell for - you'd pay for research time too, not to mention it would probably take time, time the boy on the bed didn't really have in abundance...Madam Pomfrey sighed.

That was the moment the doors to the Hospital Wing opened and admitted the Headmaster, derailing the nurse from her musings.

The old man looked just as stumped at the odd sight as his colleague had been - phoenix, light ball and what seemed like a colourful ghost. Whatever ghost this was however couldn't be evil though, because phoenixes didn't want to stay in the presence of someone who was. Which still didn't answer the question however just why said ghost was here. With that line of thought Professor Dumbledore asked Madam Pomfrey if she had any more news than him.

"Poppy, what happened here? And who is that ghost?"

Said nurse hesitated before answering.

"It may sound strange Headmaster, but that's not a ghost. He's still alive, although barely. He's corporeal for now, but I don't think he'll last much longer if his magic levels continue to drop, because they're all that keep him from fading away. And I don't even know how to treat him, because most of my spells simply go through him, and potions wouldn't work for the same reasons either."; finished Madam Pomfrey with a sigh.

Professor Dumbledore stroked his beard for a while, thinking it through. Something inside of him told him to help the boy, with that same feeling also giving the impression an adventurous time would soon come. Knowing his guts almost never led him wrong he decided to help.

"Well, St. Mungo's' is out then for the same reasons. But...how about we try THAT room? It may be just the thing to give that boy a chance of survival."

Madam Pomfrey needed to think for a moment to get just which room the Headmaster meant, but then she had to agree, if reluctantly.

"It could work Albus, but are you sure? You know how unpredictable that place is!"

"That may be, but I think it's worth a try."

That said, Professor Dumbledore conjured a stretcher beneath the boy with a muttered spell and set it afloat with a second one. A Look in the direction of Fawkes only told him that his old companion seemed to feign being asleep, with the ball of light nesting on the bird's head. He didn't really blame them for refusing to join him. Chuckling, the old man decided to go alone. With a smile to the mediwitch he set off to the doors, the stretcher silently floating behind him. Off to a room that was perhaps the most heavily guarded place in the entire castle.

While the teachers got told some vague details and the Heads of Houses a bit more, only the Headmaster and the medical Staff ever got told about the details: Simply put, it was the room where the magic of the Ley lines sprang up from the earth, powering up the various wards and everything that made Hogwarts the amazing castle that it was today.

The Staff or even the students could find it by chance or just by being the right kind of curious, but there were heavy wards and safeguards in place to hinder anyone but those that were keyed into it. There were numerous intent wards, an older version of the notice-me-not-charm, and last but not least the spell that made anyone who wasn't found worthy or simply had no business there forget just what the room was. In hindsight the explorers would only remember stumbling upon a classroom long out of use, nearly as soon as they stepped into the corridor again. It was that last enchantment that had thankfully hindered Voldemort from finding out those last secrets and turning Hogwarts into a School for the Dark Arts back in the late 70's.

This and more ran through the Headmaster's mind as he came near the room. A few stairs before the entrance however the old man could hear the echoing steps coming from another direction leading towards the Slytherin dungeons. They revealed Professor Snape, resident Potions Master of Hogwarts.

Calling out to the younger man Professor Dumbledore halted until he came in sight. Professor Dumbledore mustered the Potions Master with an uncommonly grave look. Coming to a decision, he decided to take the risk. Motioning behind him, he gestured to the floating stretcher just as Professor Snape joined him. "Aah, Severus. Care to join me for a moment? I need to provide a new student some help."

Eyeing the being on the stretcher with curiosity and no small amount of wariness, Professor Snape nodded. Despite having some doubts on the "student" being alive, his intrigue had been tickled. What was going on here? Why was the person on the stretcher that translucent? Just then the Headmaster spoke to him again, interrupting his train of thoughts.

"Well, then come on. Time is of essence here."

The younger man nodded. And so they set off again, to a part of the dungeons that was mostly disused in present times. It wasn't warded off, per Se, because here and then people went here in search of privacy, but to most of the residents these parts were just full of spare classrooms and the odd potions lab.

Which just struck Professor Snape a little odd, because why head down here while the castle had a fully stocked Hospital Ward?

It only was a short time later till the two teachers came to a heavy black door that was located in a dead-end. The trek down to it had been silent, but now Professor Dumbledore addressed him again.

"Severus, could you please take over lifting the stretcher? I need to unlock the wards."

Nodding, Professor Snape murmured the spell to levitate it just as the older man withdrew his own magic from it.

That done, Professor Dumbledore fished out an ornate key adorned with a little heart from one of his many robe pockets. Without another word he opened the lock, and entered the pitch black room behind it. That activated it's light source, ancient looking blue crystal torches one by one. They bathed the room in a light shade of blue. With that a most curious sight met the two men:

Stemming from a grated off hole in the floor located in the room's centre seven trenches filled with a colourful mist went to different tunnels that led deeper into the castle.* Beside them, smaller trenches spread out into several directions before eventually vanishing into small cracks in the walls.

Professor Dumbledore went to a small pool that was fed by one of the bigger side arms. Here the old man set down the stretcher and turned to his colleague.

Said man had gazed around the room for a long moment, with a lot of questions on his mind, and couldn't quite contain his curiosity any more. So he chose to ask outright.

"Headmaster, what is this room?"

The old man positively beamed at him.

"This, my dear boy, is the Heart room of Hogwarts!"

Spreading his arms dramatically, the old man gestured around.

Without ado, he turned around and drew his wand. His expression had turned serious all of a sudden. Looking back to Professor Snape he admitted a warning.

"Stay back for a bit, Severus. The magic in this room is a bit….temperamental."

So the younger man moved back to the wall near the entrance to watch the spectacle. Which he was sure it was going to be, if he listened to the rumours this room generated amongst the staff that was in the know.

In that time Professor Dumbledore had moved the stretcher to the little pool and vanished the stretcher, letting the gestalt float down into the strange pool. Immediately he began chanting a long sentence in Latin.

The effect was astounding. Something deep below them it began to rumble, and the powerful magic Professor Snape had felt until now increased tenfold. Tendrils of magic reached for the gestalt, gently lifting it into the air. They wrapped around it and a bubble of magic formed around the gestalt, and finally the magic levels in the air dropped down a little again.

Professor Dumbledore turned around to his colleague again and tucked away his wand.

"Let's go Severus, we've done all we can do for the boy for now. Whether he survives or not is the choice of Magic."

Still wondering just what had happened here the Potions Professor made to go out of the door, not wanting to stay long

in a room he had heard from the rumours to be in possession of a life of it's own.

And almost as if the magic had heard his thoughts two tendrils shot out and zapped the two men. Which turned out to be transfiguration spells. Professor Dumbledore suddenly sported a very big blue afro, his beard turning a shocking pink and braiding itself. Whilst Professor Snape's hair was neon green and stood on end as if the man had stuck a fork into a power outlet.

Tugging a strand of hair in front of his face, Professor Snape sighed. Still, looking at the Headmaster wearing the same resigned expression, something like a smile twitched at his lips.

* * *

A.N.: FINALLY done….especially the last half of this chapter was like chewing on old bubblegum: Once tasty, but not getting better when you chew longer than necessary….

When researching for this fic I stumbled upon an old post by a NaNoWriMo writer. And I gotta say this, I'm very much a pantser rather than a planner. Most of my story ideas get saved as little snippets. Useful but not all that speedy.

*: Think Hades' Cavern in KH 2. That creepy river/mist flowing down the tunnels.

Well, until next time, dear Readers. Love that a few of you stayed behind. It keeps me writing ^_^ 3


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